—Ralph Metzner
Prologue: The Quest for the Philosopher’s Stone
Part One: Transformations of Collective Consciousness: An Octave of World History from 1945 to 2001
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
Culture, Science, Technology, and Psychedelics
September 11, 2001: The End of the Octave and the End of an Era
Part Two: Alchemical Divination: Accessing Your Spiritual Intelligence for Healing and Guidance
chapter 1: Shamanism, Yoga, and Alchemy
chapter 2: What Is Divination?
Divination and the Scientific Method
Intuition, Intelligence, and Prediction
Divination, Altered States, and Psychedelics
The Multiple Strands of Awareness
The Dual Movement of Past and Future Divinations
Mythic Deities and Spirits of Divination
chapter 3: The Seven Phases of Divination Rituals
(1) Preparing the Place and Aligning with the Spirits of Space and Time
(2) Articulating and Clarifying the Intention or Question
(3) Purifying Perception with Light-Fire Yoga and Connecting with Spiritual Intelligence
(4) Invoking the Spirit Allies from the Animal, Plant, Fungal, and Mineral Worlds
(6) The Fourfold Divination Cycle
Suggestions for Divination Practice
chapter 4: Alchemical Light-Fire Yoga
Balancing Dynamic and Receptive Poles of the Energy Field
Balancing and Harmonizing the Three Chambers
Transmutation of the Elements in the Cave of the Heart
Cultivating the Attitude of the Compassionate Witness
chapter 5: The Three Chambers or Essence Fields
chapter 6: The Life-World and Self-System
Mapping Our Present Life-World of Relations
chapter 7: Stages of the Life Cycle
chapter 8: The Well of Memory and the Tree of Visions
Memory Divination with Mimir’s Well
Future Divination with the Tree of Visions
Appendix A: Associations with the Three Energy Fields
The Three Tan T’ien in Chinese Taoism
Shamanic Allies—Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles
Astrological Indicators—Sun, Ascendant, and Moon
Psychedelic/Entheogenic Substances
Appendix B: Neuroanatomy of the Three Chambers
Paul MacLean’s Triune Brain Theory
Abdominal Brain or Enteric Nervous System
Part Three: MindSpace and TimeStream: Understanding and Navigating Your States of Consciousness
chapter 2: Consciousness, Space, and Time
chapter 3: Consciousness as Context and Subjectivity
Objective and Subjective Knowing
chapter 5: States, Stages, and Levels of Consciousness
Stages of Development in the Life Cycle
The Paradigm of Levels or Dimensions of Consciousness
chapter 6: The Set and Setting Model
chapter 7: Waking, Sleeping, Dreaming, Meditating
The Ultradian Cycle in Sleep and Wakefulness
Brain Wave Variations in the Waking State
chapter 8: The Dimensions of Energy and Pleasure-Pain
Psychoactive Stimulants and Depressants
chapter 9: Expansions of Consciousness
chapter 10: Contractions of Consciousness
Receptive and Active Addictions and Compulsions
Consciousness Expansion for Healing Contracted States
chapter 11: Dissociation and State Transitions
The Difference Between Dissociation and Repression
Hypnosis and the Treatment of DID
Dissociation in Psychedelic Drug States
chapter 12: Dissociation and Association in Various States
chapter 13: NDEs, OBEs, and Mediumistic States
OBEs (Out-of-Body Experiences)
Spiritual Practices Involving Intentional OBEs
Appendix A: Neurochemical and Hormonal Correlates of the Two Dimensions
Appendix B: Dissociative Drug States
Appendix C: Biochemical and Hormonal Basis of Sexual Experience
chapter 1: Birth—Traumatic Realities, Ecstatic Potentials
Physical, Psychological, and Social Factors Affecting Birth
Traumatic Birth and Collective Psychopathology
Water Birthing and Ecstatic or Orgasmic Birthing
chapter 2: Prenatal Imprints and Ancestral Connections
Milestones of the Prenatal Journey
Soul Memories from Before Conception
Connecting and Reconciling with the Ancestors
Recognizing One’s Life Path and Purpose
chapter 3: Death and Hereafter
The Tradition of the Three-Day Transition
Near-Death, Ego-Death, and Transcendence
New and Ancient Ways of Preparing for Dying
Mythic Guides and Guardians of the Land of the Dead
Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on Death and the Afterlife
Communication Between the Living and the Spirits of the Dead
The Life Review in Egyptian Afterdeath Teachings
The Second Bardo in the Tibetan Buddhist Afterdeath Teachings
The Council of Ancestral Souls and Guiding Spirits
chapter 5: From Incarnation to Conception and Rebirth
Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on the Bardo of Rebirth
The Angel Lailah—Midwife of Souls
Appendix: On the Mediumship of William Shakespeare
Part Five: The Six Worlds of Existence in Mahayana Buddhism
chapter 1: The Wheel of Birth and Death
The Hub of the Wheel of Existence
The Six Worlds of Existence and Consciousness
The Twelvefold Chain of Interdependent Origination
chapter 2: Divination Journeys to the Six Worlds of Existence
Journeys to the Realm of the Violent Asuras
Journeys to the Hell Realm and Finding the Exits
Journeys to the Realm of Frustrated Craving
Part Six: The World Tree and the World Axis
chapter 1: The Cosmic World Tree in Myth and Science
Other Realms in the Middle World
Upper World Realms and Flying Spirits
Lower World Realms and Subterranean Spirits
The Deep Earth World, Mimir, and the Three Norns
chapter 2: Divination Journeys with the Tree of Worlds
Seven Phases of Divination Journeys
Divination Journeys to the Lower Earth Worlds
Divination Journeys to the Atmosphere Sky World
Divination Journeys to the Deep Earth World
Divinations with Mimir and the Well of Memory
Divination with the Three Norns
Divination Journeys to the Solar System World
Part Seven: Octave Holarchies: Divination Meditations
chapter 1: Hierarchies, Holarchies, and Octaves
chapter 2: Ascending Octave of Macrocosmic Holarchies
chapter 3: Descending Octave of Microcosmic Holarchies
chapter 4: Developmental Octave of a Possible Global Civilization
Appendix A: Selected Recordings Used in Divination Journeys